20 October 2024
BOV GFA Gozo Football League 1st Division (MD 6) Gozo Stadium
Nadur Youngsters FC : 3
SK Victoria Wanderers FC: 2
31’ (1-0) Matthias Mercieca
48’ (1-1) Igor Henrique Da Silva Costa
52’ (1-2) Vasile-Fernando Mihai
79’ (2-2) penalty Joseph Zammit
90+2’ (3-2) penalty Joseph Zammit
Nadur Y:
S. Sultana, I. De Jesus De Santana, M. Mercieca (B. Said 82), D. Pires Dall’Oca, A.G. Castro Martins, J. Zammit, O.P. Bugeja, G. Farrugia, I. Xuereb, G. Muscat, O.G. Fernandes.
SK Victoria W:
S. Camilleri, A. Galiano Lazarini, N. Camilleri, J.W. Meilak (A. Touarha 68), V.F. Mihai, M. Cordina, I.H. Da Silva Costa, E. Zammit, D.G. Emmanuel (S. Harland 46), J. Saliba (N. Grech 85), L. Fenech.
Nadur Youngsters obtained three very precious points from a 3-2 win over SK Victoria Wanderers so that they moved away from the second place from the bottom to a mid-table position and gained a one-point lead over the same Wanderers.
The match turned out to be well contested and the win could have gone either way. Nadur enjoyed some supremacy during the first period and took the break with a one-goal lead but the Citizens had a good start in the second period where they turned the result in their favour and could have extended their lead on more than one occasion. Nadur recovered from the difficult moment and capitalised from two penalty kicks during the final stages so that they obtained a dramatic win and left the field of play with the full points at stake.
The performance of the two sides in this match showed that both Nadur and Victoria have room for improvement if they aim to be stronger challengers to the teams at the upper part of the table. The two sides are weak at their respective defensive department as their inability to defend the result is probably compromising the possibility of the two teams earning more points. With regards to the attack, Victoria’s play probably produces more scoring opportunities but even though they have the current top scorer of the category, Igor Henrique Da Silva Costa, the Citizens are often erratic and miss the opportunities to open a good lead over their opponents. On the other hand, Nadur are struggling to produce dangerous actions on their opponent’s goal but they make up through their experience as they manage to keep believing in the possibility of winning the match despite the difficulties which they encounter.
Photo: Anthony Cassar
Timeline:
The two sides were very prudent during the opening minutes as they were very cautious to protect their respective territory to avoid compromising the match from the beginning. As time passed by play took place in the midfield with the strikers of the two teams well controlled by the respective defensive departments during the first half hour of play. Nadur however took the driving seat just after the half-hour mark and continued to administer play until the end of the first half..
6’ Victoria could have created more danger when James William Meilak delivered an inviting cross inside Nadur’s area but Joseph Saliba hit badly from close distance and goalie Steve Sultana blocked the danger.
16’ Nadur replied with an effort by Owen Peter Bugeja who was unmarked inside Victoria’s area but Victoria’s goalie Samuel Camilleri was well placed and neutralised the danger.
20’ (crossbar) Nadur went very close to taking the lead but a strike from outside the area by Olimpio Gabriel Fernandes shaved the crossbar.
30’ Victoria’s goalie Samuel Camilleri was well placed and saved a shot from outside the area by Nadur’s Diego Pires Dall’Oca.
31’ (1-0) Nadur broke the deadlock when Owen Peter Bugeja won the ball from the midfield and released Matthias Mercieca who passed inside Victoria’s area and netted with a shot towards the far post.
HT (1-0)
Second Half
The Wanderers came out more determined for the second period and staged an effective reaction where they turned the result in their favour. The match after the hour mark became much more exciting as Nadur increased their efforts in an attempt to level the score while the Wanderers tried to consolidate their defensive department and operated some dangerous breaks. In the end, Nadur turned the result in their favour by converting two penalty shots and left the field of play with the full points.
3’ (1-1) SK Victoria Wanderers scored the equaliser when Vasile-Fernando Mihai delivered the ball inside Nadur’s area from a free kick and Igor Henrique Da Silva Costa headed towards the corner of the net.
7’ (1-2) The Citizens took the lead when James William Meilak delivered a low cross from the right flank and Vasile-Fernando Mihai netted with a tap-in.
10’ Nadur replied a strike by Joseph Zammit but the ball ended high.
15’ The Wanderers could have created more dander when Vasile-Fernando Mihai unmarked Emerson Zammit inside Nadur’s area but the latter hit badly from an ideal position and the ball ended away from goal.
16’ (crossbar) Nadur went very close to level the score when a low cross from the right flank by Matthias Mercieca arrived to an unmarked Andre Gabriel Castro Martins but the later saw his attempt hit the crossbar.
26’ Victoria was again dangerous when Vasile-Fernando Mihai entered Nadur’s area with a personal action but his shot from an angled position ended on the side of the net.
32’ SK Victoria Wanderers missed a good opportunity to increase their lead when Vasile-Fernando Mihai delivered a cross from the left flank but Igor Henrique Da Silva Costa headed over the crossbar from an ideal position.
34’ (2-2) penalty Nadur punished their opponents for the missed chance as they were awarded a penalty for a foul by Matthias Cordina on Olimpio Gabriel Fernandes and Joseph Zammit converted his shot from the penalty spot.
42’ Victoria’s goalie Samuel Camilleri kept his side in contention when he saved to a corner with difficulty a shot on the run by Nadur’s Gabriel Farrugia.
45+1’ (3-2) penalty Nadur clinched the win when they were awarded a second penalty, among protests from Victoria’s players, when a shot from long distance by Igor De Jesus De Santana was handled in the area by Luke Fenech and Joseph Zammit made no mistake from the penalty spot.
FT (NY 3 – SKVW 2)
Referee: Ishmael Barbara
Asst. Referees: James Muscat, Vasil Vasilev
Photo: Anthony Cassar
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